Peace campaigner Robbie Manson today failed in his latest attempt to bring court proceedings against Prime Minister Tony Blair for his part in 'planning, preparing and initiating' the Iraq war.

Mr Manson, 42, from Newport, Pembrokeshire, wanted the High Court to overrule a decision of senior district judge Timothy Workman, sitting at Bow Street, refusing his application for summonses against Mr Blair, as well as Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon.

Rejecting his application for permission to seek judicial review, two judges said that Mr Manson had failed to identify an offence in English criminal law for which the ministers could be put on trial.

Mr Manson argued all three had committed a 'crime against peace' when the UK joined the United States-led coalition in the war on Iraq "without even any serious pretence of justification of action needed in our immediate self-defence".

He first launched his challenge before Carmarthen magistrates in March, and then two months later at Bow Street.

Both courts decided that they were not satisfied that "the waging of an aggressive war is a crime known to English law".

Today Mr Manson told the High Court that the magistrates courts had made errors of law and a crime against peace was an offence under "international customary law".

He argued that, for more than 300 years, the common law of England had adopted relevant principles from international customary law where appropriate.

Rejecting his argument, Lord Justice Brooke, sitting with Mr Justice Silber, said: "I am unable to find that such an offence has been incorporated in any way into English criminal law.

"The English courts do not have jurisdiction to deal with the claimant's complaints."